Freshman Larkin has fit right into Navy offense

Navy freshman attacker Kelly Larkin, using her off hand in this situation, is the Mids’ second-leading scorer this season with 28 points in the first seven games.

Navy freshman attacker Kelly Larkin, using her off hand in this situation, is the Mids’ second-leading scorer this season with 28 points in the first seven games. (Phil Hoffmann, courtesy of naval academy)

Navy women's lacrosse had a hole on offense that Kelly Larkin fit into perfectly.

That's because the freshman attacker is a southpaw, which the Midshipmen sorely needed after losing Codi Mullen to graduation.

"It's always an advantage to have a natural lefty because it balances out your offense," head coach Cindy Timchal said.

Larkin hasn't just filled the left-handed attack role, she has excelled at it. The Bishop Ireton product is Navy's second-leading scorer with 28 points through seven games.

"Kelly has a great stick and does an excellent job of finding open cutters," Timchal said. "She also has an outstanding shot and is a high percentage finisher. She doesn't make a lot of mistakes and is getting better every day."

Larkin has meshed well with an offense featuring several returning standouts such as Morgan Young and the Collins twins. Young, a senior attacker, chuckled when asked about the precocious plebe's adjustment to the Division I level.

"Kelly came out in the first game and scored seven points so I guess she adjusted pretty well," Young said. "Chemistry wasn't much of an issue. We've been working with Kelly in practice since the fall and she has just fit right in. I love having a lefty feeder. It's really helpful to be able to cut with your right hand up. Kelly sees the field really well and makes really accurate passes."

Larkin contributed three goals and four assists to a 20-3 rout of Davidson in the season opener and has not stopped scoring since. The Alexandria, Virginia native has totaled 16 goals and 12 assists while earning the Patriot League Rookie of the Week honor four times already.

"Kelly is a very talented player and we have put a lot of faith and trust in her," Navy assistant coach Aly Messinger said. "It's not easy making the transition from high school to college, but so far it's been fairly smooth for Kelly. She is playing with a lot of confidence."

Larkin was surprised and honored when told by Timchal she would be starting right out of the gate. That news also put some pressure to perform on the shoulders of the 5-foot-6 youngster.

"Obviously, I was really, really excited. It also meant that I had to work even harder," Larkin said. "There could have been five other girls in my spot. So I just knew it was a privilege and something I had to continue to earn because the coaches expected a lot out of me."

Larkin got her first taste of big-time competition when Navy lost to then-10th-ranked Duke down in Durham on Feb. 12. She contributed a goal and an assist while working against a top-notch defender.

Larkin has scored at least one goal in every game this season and sits between Jenna Collins (31 points) and Julia Collins (27) on the team's scoring list. Playing alongside so many other accomplished players has helped the plebe.

"Last year, as a senior in high school, I was leading the team and had a lot of girls looking up to me. Now I'm back as a freshman and have so many great players that are better than me and that I look up to. So the roles are reversed," Larkin said. "I'm just happy to have amazing players like Morgan Young and the Collins twins to push me every day. Without so many talented teammates setting me up or scoring goals off my passes I wouldn't have as many points."

Larkin was a two-time US Lacrosse All-American at Bishop Ireton, which has become a perennial powerhouse under head coach Rick Sofield. The Cardinals captured two Washington Capital Athletic Conference championships and appeared in three straight Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association state championships during Larkin's career.

Colorado and Florida also pursued the Washington Post All-Metro selection, but she was determined to attend the Naval Academy. That interest blossomed from making the roughly 45-minute drive from Alexandria with her parents to attend athletic events at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

"I kind of knew early on that Navy was my first choice so the decision was pretty easy," Larkin said. "It was something both my parents wanted me to do so having their full support was important. I wanted to play Division I lacrosse, but I also wanted to challenge myself and get into a school that I probably could not have gotten into if it wasn't for lacrosse."

Messinger, in her first year as offensive coordinator for the Mids, has become a major mentor for the freshman. Messinger was a left-handed attacker at North Carolina, a three-time All-American and key cog of two national championship teams.

"It's actually perfect because I'm also left-handed and played in the same position as Aly," Larkin said. "She has a lot of great insight and helps me so much with what I could do better on the field. I have a lot to live up to knowing how great a player Aly was."

Messinger speaks glowingly of Larkin's lacrosse IQ and innate feel for the game. She has pushed the plebe to play faster and worked with her on getting better at dodging from behind the cage.

"Kelly has a ton of potential and is improving with every practice. She is already an impact player and has a real bright future," Messinger said

Navy will play one of the most important games on its schedule when it hosts Loyola on Saturday. The Greyhounds have yet to lose a game since joining the Patriot League, capturing three straight regular season and tournament championships.

"This is our Patriot League opener and also probably our toughest competitor so I'm definitely a little nervous," Larkin admitted. "Fortunately, we've already seen some really good teams this season and had an opportunity to challenge ourselves. Hopefully, those previous games have helped prepare the team to play well in this one."